Origin ond Acceptonce of
Tobacco Is Fascinating
Ever since the days of John Rolfe, to-
bacco has been one of America's greatest
industries. In 18 different States of the
Union, on more than 400,000 farms, em·
ploying over 1,000,000 men, tobacco is
grown. The manufacture of tobaqco gives
employment to 100,000 factory workers, in
addition to which there are many thousands
who work at tobacco warehouses, and in
the distribution of finished products. And
there are about a million retail outlets.
Magellan, the first m!m to sail around the
world, left the seeds of the tobacco plant
with the natives of the Philippine Islands,
who introduced it into China and Japan.
One of the most interesting stories in the
long history of tobacco concerns a young
French scientist, Jean Nicot, who was sent
as an Ambassador to Portugal. Nicot was
charged with the duty of arranging a
marriage between a French princess and
the King of Portugal, a boy of fifteen.
The youthful monarch was not inter·
ested in the marriage. Nicot, faced with
failure, looked around for something which
he could send back to France. He found
it in the tobacco plant, which at that time
was believed to be a marvelous medicine,
capable of curing almost any disease. It
was in honor of this young French Am·
bassador, Nicot, that the essential drug in
the tobacco plant has been named nico·
tine.
When Hernando Cortez entered the an·
cient city of Mexico, he found that the
Aztecs were using tobacco in every form,
in pipes, as cigars, or as snuff, and even
as cigarettes. Cortez attended a great ban·
quet which the Aztec Emperor, Montezuma
gave at his palace-a banquet at which
countless choice viands were served on
vessels of gold and silver. As a climax
to the feast, a group of Aztec maidens
appeared, bearing beautHully painted pipes,
filled with tobacco which had been ground
in rosewood mills to give added fragrance
to its aroma.
Among the ancient Mayans of Central
America where the tobacco plant originat·
ed, the leaves were first burned in an in·
cense to the gods. In the Far East, water
pipes or hookahs were invented, so that
the smoke would be cooled by passing
through water. And in France, among the
ladies and gentlemen at the court of Louis
XIV, the custom of taking snuff became
popular.
.
From France the snuff habit spread to
England, where among the aristocracy it
almost superseded smoking. Every English
dandy during the eighteenth century owned
dozens and even hundreds of snuff boxes.
, Snuff boxes made of silver and gold, marble
and carved wood were among the greatest
works of art of the time and are eagerly
sought by collectors today.
Light Machine Shop Work
Tool & Die Work
Model Making
R,pairing
Unobtainable Paris Manufactured
Bring In sketc:h or old part
for prec:lslon dupllc:atlon
Prompt Servlc:e • Reasonable Rates
•
Ha-Mal Machine Shop
1151 Venice Blvd .
Los Angele s 15, Cal.
DRexel 4044 or WAlnut 5452
And even to this day the snuff box is
not without official standing in this coun·
try. In the United States Senate stand tW\l
LOS ANGELES-M. S. Wolf, head of
snuff boxes, one on the Democratic side
California Amusement Co., has purchased
and· one on the Republican. One of the
the building at 1348 Venice Boulevard
regular duties of the Senate pages is to
which has housed the organi~ation for the
past two years.
fill these snuff boxes twice a week.
Building is modern in style and consists
In Spain, another way of using tobacco
became popular. The cigar, which the
of 8,000 square feet of floor . space which
Spanish conquerors had found in common
Wolf will devote to used equipment sales
and storage when the firm's new building is
use among the Aztecs, was soon brought
completed at Pico and Magnolia streets.
back to the other country, where the Eng·
New building will be constructed just as
lish soldiers acquired the cigar habit
soon as conditions permit and will be a two
during the Napoleonic Wars. Gradually
story modernistic structure to handle the
throughout England cigars began to take
general offices and new machines display
the place of snuff in polite society.
and sales.
Queen Victoria, however, never overcame
Wolf left Los Angeles on June 20th in
her prejudice against , tobacco in any form,
company with Ralph Orkin, California
and the story is that visitors to Windsor
Amusement sales executive, on a trip
Castle, where smoking was forbidden by
through the San Joaquin valley up to Stock-
the Queen, congregated late at night in
ton and Sacramento and then over to the
one of the guest rooms. This room was
firm's San Francisco office for a brief visit
equipped with an open fireplace, and here
before returning here the end of the month.
the leading statesmen of the day crouched
on hands and knees, carefully blowing
Packard Fifth Award
their smoke up the chimney.
In the early years of the nineteenth
INDIANAPOLIS-The Packard Manu-
century, smoking was becoming a habit
facturing Corp. has been notified by the
throughout all classes in Germany. But
Under Secretary of War Patterson that it
King William III was' violently opposed.
has won for the fifth time, the Army-
Defiantly, many Germans persisted in
Navy Production Award for excellence
.
in
war production.
smoking.
Among those who defied the King and
This fifth renewal is a symbol of
high achievement over a long period, and
were imprisoned was a young scientist
there are very few concerns in the nation
named Kammerer. One day he accosted
who have been so honored by the War
the Governor of the prison.
COIN
Department.
"Colonel, I have a favor to ask of you."
MACHINE
"Well, what is it?"
REYIEW
"Allow me to continue my chemical
About one and two-tenths percent of
researches here."
the total supply of paper and paperboard '
"Very well. I suppose no harm can come
is consumed by the federal government
of that."
'
excluding the Army and Navy.
The invention on which young Kam-
Penicillin production is steadily increas-
FOR
merer was working was a match which
ing. By the end of this year about nine
JULY
could be ignited by friction. During his
pounds will be produced a day, which will
1945
six months in jail, he perfected his dis-
treat 250,000 serious cases a month.
covery, and immediately upon his release
The bird commonly known as the robin
began the manufacture of friction matches.
is a true thrush. '
It was the start of a giant industry.
It would take the light of 385,000 full
moons to equal the light of the sun ac.
cording to Harvard's photoelectric ex'peri-
ments.
The smallest incorporated place in the
country, in 1940, was South Bend, Ar-
kansas. The population was one.
A street in London was paved with
rubber three years ago, another in north
England was paved with the same mate.
rial eleven years ago, both in good con-
dition still.
In Canada an alien must live in the
The word "autumn" was first used in
country five years before he may apply for
~,374 by Chaucer, the great English writer.
naturalization. His application is posted in
Fall" goes back to 1545.
the court for three months, then acted
New York is now the largest port in
upon by the judge who sends his recom-
the world, clearing 5 billion dollars worth
mendation to the secretary of state for
of shipping each year.
decision. They have no first and second
The softwoods, the cone-bearing ever-
papers such as we have in the United
greens, produce much more alcohol than
States.
the hardwoods.
Germany
American
investments in
amount to SI,290,000,000, according to a
recent treasury department census. About
one-third of all investments in foreign
MASTER UNIVERSAL
countries, which total 'SI3,300,OOO,OOO, is
invested in Axis area.
About 80,000,000 tons of nitric acid a
The mo.t complete amplifier ever of-
fered . Late.t de.lgn with advanced
year are produced all over the earth, by
engineering principle.. Volume and
electric storms. This is not a sufficient
tone centrol.. Proper circuit fu.lng.
supply required by living nature. Bacteria
Ab.olute clarity.
Model B, fits all phono • ...••......• $74.50
must provide the rest.
Moclel A, fits all exce pt
A whale cannot dive to the bottom of
HI·Tones ................................ 54 .50
the ocean at any great depth of water.
- - SEE--
Its maximum dive is 600 feet, for at any
greater depth the pressure would be too
great for the whale's safety.
The largest coal deposit in the United
States is in the F ort Union region of
Wyoming and the Dakotas.
Wolf Buys Building
63
Did You KNOW
..
tleat" ,
AMPl.lrlER
PAUL A. LAYMON